2
switches replaced in <6 months
100%
on-time completion of critical milestones
100%
consultant retention rate
OWNING CHANGE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES
Our client is a leading multinational bank, serving over 40 million customers across 60 countries worldwide.
The challenge:Expanding Safety Parameters
To comply with a new security regulation imposed by the European Central Bank (ECB), our client’s global HQ in the UK kickstarted a massive, multi-phase network segmentation initiative. This initiative would be instrumental in enhancing visibility into interzone network traffic and strengthening risk mitigation, monitoring, and security management across the board.
Our client’s APAC entity wanted to replicate the network segmentation initiative run by the UK and mirror their deployment process. However, the scale and complexity of the project created several technical challenges including configuration and compatibility issues and deployment roadblocks. Facing tight timelines and lacking the required expertise, our client engaged TEKsystems to support the project.
Our proposal:A Safe, Secure, and Stable Network
Leveraging our long-standing partnership, TEKsystems’ delivery team engaged our client’s IT infrastructure leadership to understand their network segmentation roadmap and do a gap analysis. Our ability to quickly bring in subject-matter experts (SMEs), who were proficient in Cisco ACI Fabric, Cisco Nexus Switches, Ansible, and other tools, was a vital addition to our client’s plans.
Leveraging our extensive resourcing capabilities, TEKsystems quickly identified, screened, and deployed a team of Network Segmentation SMEs to work on-site at our client’s Hong Kong location. With their strong domain knowledge and prior replicable experience in running similar network projects, our SMEs hit the ground running. Throughout the 2+ years of ongoing delivery, they have played an instrumental role in driving our client’s flagship network segmentation project across APAC.
Real-world Results
Within the first six months, TEKsystems’ Network Segmentation SMEs successfully replaced 20 critical switches. As the changes could only be implemented during preferred maintenance windows, our SMEs allocated specific weekends for the switch replacements, ensuring seamless deployment without disrupting the existing servers and network operations across APAC.
In addition to the switch replacements, our SMEs used Ansible and other network automation tools for the smooth configuration and deployment of Cisco ACI Fabric. They configured load balancers to support the network segmentation traffic, while complying with the rigid operational standards and security protocols across the bank. From completing basic installations to advanced BGP configurations, they worked closely with our client’s wider team to ensure proper documentation, effective usage of automation tools, and preparation of existing production clusters for a smooth migration onto the ECB zone.
As a result of their technical inputs, problem-solving skills, and relentless efforts, our client was able to complete the first phase of their network segmentation project on time. The next phase, focusing on migrating priority applications onto the ECB zone, is currently in progress and on track.